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Regardless of conventional wisdom, the city of Pisa Italy is more than just the location for the world's most enduring symbol of poor architectural planning. The city is the dutiful home to more than a handful of other historical sights, though its true nature is colored with the accouterments of student life - nearly half of the city's denizens are in some way affiliated with the university.

Pisa

While the students provide the city's energy, the leaning tower of Pisa Italy provides the city's charm and texture. Eight stories of granite and marble, it was intended as a bell tower for the neighboring Pisa cathedral. After the first three stories were finished, however, intrepid builders noticed the structure beginning to tilt. This led to the unceremonious discovery that the land they were building on was a dense clay mixture, not nearly stable enough to keep the tower standing. Construction was halted for almost a century before city officials, undaunted by the slight miscalculation in the tower's original design, decided they would finish it anyway. The leaning tower of Pisa Italy, withstood the onslaught of gravity for almost 600 years, before the condition worsened to the point where it put tourists in danger. The tower now exists as both an architectural and engineering marvel, the threat of eventual collapse thwarted by a combination of counterweights and slings.

Pisa Cathedral

For those that want to conserve time in Pisa Italy, the leaning tower, Pisa cathedral (notable for its unusual facade and geometric pulpit) and nearby baptistry all reside within the same impossibly green lawn, making up the majority of vital sights in any tour of the city. However, the packed streets and marketplaces can provide entertainment for hours, with many agrarian delights available for purchase. For plucky travelers, bike rentals are available most anywhere, as Pisa's flat roads are fairly conducive to leisurely sightseeing. But prepare accordingly - though the rental places may have well over a hundred bikes available, they often have exactly zero helmets to go with them. Pisans are headstrong and brave on their bicycles - you'll have to be too.

As its power as a naval base began to decline, Pisa turned its attentions towards scholastic pursuits. Established in the 14th century, the university closed frequently as warfare interrupted studies for long periods of time. But with the birth of Italy, the University of Pisa became one of the new state's most prestigious cultural institutions.

So whether you wish to ogle the leaning tower of Pisa Italy, the hectic marketplace or the domed Pisa cathedral, this noble city is simply waiting for you to take the first step.